MELISSA MARTIN
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS
The current art exhibit at the Rollin Art Centre features Alberni Valley artist Jim Sears. This is Jim’s first art exhibit at the Rollin Art Centre, titled Coastal Influences.
“I have been interested in art for much of my life, with courses in painting and drawing as a teenager,” Sears said. “That interest has continued through my adult years as well.”
Jim has participated in many workshops over the years, most of which involved watercolour painting. Jim’s medium of choice is pen and ink, with a watercolour wash.
“My career in the forest industry and my interest in the outdoors and the wildness we see around are what inspire my art,” says Jim, who is the chairperson for Alberni Valley Community Forest.
This exhibit captures images from the West Coast Trail, Maritimes, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The pieces included in the exhibit were influenced by two trips he took with his sons last year: one, a hiking trip on the West Coast Trail, and the other a trip to Nova Scotia and PEI.
“I have tried to capture the experience of both coasts in my paintings in this exhibit.”
Jim’s exhibit opens April 1 and runs until April 30. The gallery is located at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Argyle Street and is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Face masks must be worn.
DEADLINE TO APPLY
Calling all artists out there! Here is your opportunity to showcase your artwork at the Rollin Art Centre in 2022.
We are accepting applications from all visual artists and/or artist groups to exhibit their work in our Fine Arts Gallery during the 2022 calendar year. Application forms are available at the Rollin Art Centre or you can download an application at www.alberniarts.com. The deadline to apply is April 30, 2021.
BOOK DONATIONS
At this time, the Rollin Art Centre will not be accepting any more book donations. Thank you for your continued support.
BAGS OF BOOKS
As Easter is just around the corner, the Community Arts Council has decided to offer a special on our Mystery Book Bags.
Buy one bag for $20 (which includes 10 books in the same genre) or buy two bags for only $30.
Call the Rollin Art Centre at 250-724-3412 to order your mystery book bag. Choose from mysteries, fiction, fantasy, romance, children’s books and even puzzles ($2 each).
By purchasing a bag of books, you will also be helping Rollin Art Centre during this difficult time. A big thank you to Buy-Low Foods for their generous donation of the brown paper bags for our books.
CHAR’S LANDING
Electric Mermaid: Live Reads from Char’s Landing happens the third Friday of each month on Zoom via a link from www.charslanding.com. In addition to two national feature readers, there is a curated open mic, with spots of up to five minutes in length. Poetry, fiction and non-fiction readers are welcome. Writers interested in reading their work can email electricmermaidreads@gmail.com.
Melissa Martin is the Arts Administrator for the Community Arts Council, at the Rollin Art Centre and writes for the Alberni Valley News. Call 250-724-3412. Email: communityarts@shaw.ca.